CSS Arkansas in Confederate Veteran

[CPT JB]

Has anyone read recently the Confederate Veteran account of the CSS Arkansas at Vicksburg? I am trying to remember the Officers name and the exact quote about "An hours worth of Hail" and describing the kindling the Arkansas received. Now that Clive Cussler has found her, do you think she will one day be excavated?

 

[DixieRifles]

Isaac Newton Brown (May 27, 1817 – September 1, 1889)

 

[CPT JB]

Thank you. I had forgotten his name. I was fascinated to know many of the crew were soldiers and not tribunes and the river men aboard were not trained on a larger ram. I admire the courage of the crew. I think speaks highly of the leadership. They did not have much training and prep time.

 

[CPT JB]

Does anyone know why the USS Cricket was so named.

 

[CPT JB]

Thank you. I had forgotten his name. I was fascinated to know many of the crew were soldiers and not tribunes and the river men aboard were not trained on a larger ram. I admire the courage of the crew. I think speaks highly of the leadership. They did not have much training and prep time.

Should have read trained sailors

 

[Pollaco]

In which edition of the Confederate Veteran is this Article about the CSS Arkansas located?

 

[Carronade]

Does anyone know why the USS Cricket was so named.

She was purchased and retained her original name, as they often did. We'd have to ask her civilian owner how he picked the name.

 

[CPT JB]

Kind of tough thing to do now!!! Be hard to track the owner down. I just think it a funny name for a Gunboat! I know the Navy often changed names, especially after conversions from civilian to military.

 

[CPT JB]

I wonder if the decks resembled a cricket, or if the steam engine had a chirping sound like a Cricket?

 

[CPT JB]

I will have to find my notes on the Confederate Veteran Article on the Arkansas. I have a folder that went AWOL on me during my last Deployment. Has a lot of my research articles on the Millboy, Cricket and Arkansas.

 

[CPT JB]

I am hurting because one of the missing sources states specifically the Millboy originally was propelled by horses on the circular treadmill and all my notes on The Arkansas.

 

[piratehunter]

She was purchased and retained her original name, as they often did. We'd have to ask her civilian owner how he picked the name.

Carronade gave the exact right answer. Some tinclad gunboats retained their civilian names, others were renamed. For example the Florence Miller became the tinclad Rattler. No offense, but I don't know if you were being serious when you said "decks resembled a cricket, or if the steam engine had a chirping sound like a Cricket?" I have never heard of anything that resembles either one of these things.

The Mill Boy was originally built as a non powered barge. In 1860 she was converted to steam power.
I have heard of ferry boats being powered by horses or mules on a circular treadmill, but I don' t think that they would have the stamina to propel a boat upstream on the mighty Mississippi for more than a very few miles and that at a snail's pace.Totally impractical in peace time. During the war such an extremely slow vessel would be worse than a sitting duck for Conf xample ederate forces attacking enemy vessels on the Mississippi.

 

[piratehunter]

Kind of tough thing to do now!!! Be hard to track the owner down. I just think it a funny name for a Gunboat! I know the Navy often changed names, especially after conversions from civilian to military.

Actually it would be rather difficult, but almost certainly possible to find out the name(s) of the original owner(s) of this particular Cricket. There were several vessels named Cricket in the mid 19th century. I am not sure how knowing the owners name would lead to the reason he or they chose the name Cricket. Maybe that's possible, but it seems like a very long shot.

 

[georgew]

I am hurting because one of the missing sources states specifically the Millboy originally was propelled by horses on the circular treadmill and all my notes on The Arkansas.

This type of circular treadmill goes all the way back to the Romans in the early AD period.

 

[Carronade]

I think the circular treadmill was mainly used on ferries crossing a river, using a cable wound around something like a capstan which the treadmill would turn. Agree with piratehunter that the treadmill wouldn't seem very feasible for going upriver.

 

[CPT JB]

I think the circular treadmill was mainly used on ferries crossing a river, using a cable wound around something like a capstan which the treadmill would turn. Agree with piratehunter that the treadmill wouldn't seem very feasible for going upriver.

You are correct. It was used to navigate on canals and maneuver to load on ships. The records as I mentioned in my original article is scattered and conflicting. Yes, was originally built as a plain barge. Later paddlewheels and the horse powered gristmill were added. It was to maneuver on the Ohio River for millling. It did not have to move very fast. It was mainly to be a floating platform. It was not designed for Mississippi River or long distances. Hence the installation of steam engine and boiler in 1860. In some records the Millboy was listed as a paddlewheeler but most, especially the Official records she is a sternwheeler. There were a total of 5 boats from 1857-1910. So Researching the Millboy is very tough and you have to sort it out. James Cheevers, former Naval Academy Historian in his letter to me, outlines the source that the Millboy was a paddlewheeler and "driven by steeds." In 1861 Captain Cornwell sold the Millboy to Mitchell and Johnson, who moved it to working on the Mississippi as an 86 Ton Sternwheeler. It was mentioned in a report being at dock in St. Louis by General Nathaniel Lyon in 1861. Later in September 1861, at another location in Missouri it has 100 bags of salt confiscated and and all of its cargo and destinations identified before being released. In December 1862 the Milllboy is mentioned in a couple of newspaper articles in regards to being attacked at Commerce Mississippi. This attack, according to the Semi-Weekly Wisconsin Newspaper Jan 2 1863, it was a deliberate and planned attack with intent of capturing the Millboy. The overseer off Judge Banes Plantation, apparently was involved in cotton speculation deal that went very bad. He tipped Blythe's Partisan Rangers who planned the capture. The article describes that a Doctor, a bartender and a Deckhand are killed. This incident gets the Millboy noticed by the Navy. Later in December 1862 the Navy under martial law impounds the Millboy. On December 25th 1862, the Navy releases Millboy to The Army Quartermaster. The rest of the story is known.

 

[CPT JB]

Well, I stand corrected. I went back and rechecked my information. I found two different research items that I found that day. The Confederate Veteran was a really good Biogragphical sketch on W.O Coleman' the CSS Arknsas was in the Confederate Military History. Going to have to have my eyes checked.

 

[CPT JB]

Does anyone have information on the Steamer HA Homeyer being damaged by the derelict Millboy on the White River January 31 1864?Another researcher informed me he read of it in a newspaper account.

 

[piratehunter]

Does anyone have information on the Steamer HA Homeyer being damaged by the derelict Millboy on the White River January 31 1864?Another researcher informed me he read of it in a newspaper account.

My information is that the Millboy sank near Jacksonport Arkansas (White River) on February 1, 1864, laden with Gov't stores. I have never seen mention of another vessel being involved. Sources are very scanty so it can't be ruled out.

BTW Numerous photos of present day Jacksonport were recently posted on CWT, but the historical markers mention the Millboy.

 

[Louisiana Jayhawker]

The ARKANSAS had to run through the entire Federal Fleet above Vicksburg to escape out of the Yazoo River or she was doomed. Fortunately for the ARKANSAS, most of the Fleet's ship boilers was stone cold leaving the Fleet with no immediate steam power. However, the entire Fleet fired ever available guns upon the ARKANSAS thus I assume your reported quote "an hours worth of Hail" has its meaning. I recall reading that one Federal Ellet ram had its steam up and was circling to ram the ARKANSAS; but an excellent shot from the ARKANSAS blew up her boiler, which disable the ram and killing and injuring many aboard. If the ARKANSAS was found as said then she had to be across the river from Baton Rouge as that is where she was blown up by her crew.